Someone
told you that you can't create something out of nothing? Why, sure you
can! At least in the quirky world of quantum physics.

Physicists have created light out of nothing by simulating moving a mirror
at nearly the speed of light:

At the heart of the experiment is one of the weirdest, and most
important, tenets of quantum mechanics: the principle that empty space
is anything but. Quantum theory predicts that a vacuum is actually a
writhing foam of particles flitting in and out of existence.

The existence of these particles is so fleeting that they are often
described as virtual, yet they can have tangible effects. For example,
if two mirrors are placed extremely close together, the kinds of virtual
light particles, or photons, that can exist between them can be limited.
The limit means that more virtual photons exist outside the mirrors
than between them, creating a force that pushes the plates together.
This 'Casimir force' is strong enough at short distances for scientists
to physically measure it.

For decades, theorists have predicted that a similar effect can
be produced in a single mirror that is moving very quickly. According
to theory, a mirror can absorb energy from virtual photons onto its
surface and then re-emit that energy as real photons. The effect only
works when the mirror is moving through a vacuum at nearly the speed
of light — which is almost impossible for everyday mechanical
devices. [...]

The physicists have managed to build such a "mirror-like" device using
quantum electronics, and confirmed the predictions: Link